Planning the Future with the DRIVE for Success Career Industry
11/19/2019 9:42:00 AM | General
More than 60 Crimson Tide student-athletes were on for a variety of panels addressing different career fields
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – More than 60 University of Alabama sophomore student-athletes gathered in the North Zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium this week to take part in the Crimson Tide's DRIVE for Success Career and Leadership Development program's Career Industry Night.
The event featured more than a dozen professionals from different industries split into six panels representing a variety of career fields.
One of the panelists had more than a passing knowledge of what it means to be an Alabama student-athlete. Kayla Williams, a former World Champion gymnast, was a member of the Crimson Tide's 2012 NCAA Championship team and a multiple time All-American and Scholastic All-American. Williams is the gymnastics operations coordinator for sports marketing powerhouse Knight-Eady.
"I can remember as a student-athlete being in their shoes," Williams said. "At this point in time, you are very dedicated to your studies, you are very dedicated to your sport and the future is the unknown part. I hope I helped them understand that they are doing a lot of the right things to prepare themselves for life after college and life after being a University of Alabama student-athlete."
For the student-athletes, the opportunity to talk to professionals like Williams provided invaluable insight.
"Tonight helped me realize what I want to do," sophomore baseball player T.J. Reeves said. "It gave me a different perspective on things for sure. I knew a little bit about what I want to do but I didn't know much. The panelists really helped me a lot just by answering our questions and letting us see things from their perspective. Being an athlete with the goal of being a strength and conditioning coach, you see it from the athlete standpoint. You don't really see it from the other side. I think they really helped a lot with that."
During the different panels, moderators presented questions to the panelists and facilitated the discussion. The underlying idea behind the event was for professionals to provide "real world" information about their industries and answer any questions any individuals may have regarding specifics about their fields.
"I appreciated the encouragement they gave us," Riley Schlep, a sophomore on the track and field/cross country teams, said. "They talked about the discipline we've learned to have in our lives as student-athletes, which is really transferrable in a career and really helpful in getting a job. They also gave advice they wish they had known when they were our age, useful things for deciding what we want to do with our lives and important questions to ask potential employers, and steps to takes whether that be internships or classes."
Other panelists gave insight into what employers are looking for.
"For the vast majority, especially in the technical field, when you are applying for jobs out of college, we are not focused as much on the technical aspect of your resume," Matt Kizzrie, a TEC Methods & Support Manager at BF Goodrich, said. "We are more focused on: Can we can teach you? Can you learn? Can you be a valuable member of our team? Being a student athlete proves you can do those things. These student-athletes have a big leg up once they graduate and get into the career field because they've already proven those things and those are vital in being successful."
The career industries event is another part of Alabama Athletics' DRIVE for Success Career and Leadership Development program's ongoing efforts to provide a strong foundation for the Crimson Tide's student-athletes. Highlighted through the DRIVE acronym the program's values are Dedication, Responsibility, Influence, Vision, and Excellence. Now in its fifth year, DRIVE for Success' mission is to actively support professional and leadership growth of current and former Crimson Tide student-athletes through practical educational workshops, professional events, leadership programs and various opportunities for growth.
All the latest information on Alabama Athletics can be found via @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook. You can follow Alabama's DRIVE for Success program on Twitter and Instagram via @TIDE_Enhance.
